Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting Slate and mouth call recommendation

My best slate calls are either home made or samples from a now-defunct call company for which I used to be a pro-staffer. Therefore, I'm not going to be able to give you a good make and model recommendation. What I can give you is some good general advice.

My best success has been with slate pots and slate over glass. Most of my gobblers have initially responded to one or the other. I like to break out with some raucous cackling and excited yelping about 9-10 AM, and it frequently brings them running. I often model my calls after a single hen I named Blythe, who used to come out to the shade of an old barn every day at 10 and perform a similar act. I called her Blythe for Blythe Danner-- the raspy siren from Bridget love Bernie back in the 70's. If you're too young to remember, think Anne Coulter with a bad chest cold. Blythe, the turkey is long dead, but her flock still roosts just behind the barn every spring. Some years one of her grand daughters puts on a similar show.

The trick to the call is in the striker, and finding the right striker for the day. I'll carry one or two pots, but I'll carry as many strikers as I can as a force multiplier. Most days hickory and purple heart have been the best producers. However, I'll try anything when I'm having trouble taking the turkeys' temperature.

I make my own pots, and as long as you're not into fancy, the parts can be had from customsawing.com . All it takes is some sandpaper, some varnish, and Liquid Nails. It is a good cheap way to go. They have a bunch of exotic dowels for making strikers. You can do a slate or slate/glass on a poplar base with two strikers for under $20 before glue and sandpaper. Figure 30 minutes labor, and the only tool you'll need is a weight to hold down the finished work until it dries. Here's the last batch I made for family and friends. I think the bill from custom sawing was under $50 and it took 3 hours total.